The Best Part
by q-uileutes
Summary: "He looked so pretty like this- dark hair flopping over his forehead, a little columbia's lewisia flower in his shirt pocket that Kim tucked in as a joke earlier, soft eyes staring down at her, and bronze skin deliciously on display for her in the setting sunlight." Kim's home for summer break, and spends the day with Jared. Rated K.


**A/N:** i'm back with another Kared one-shot! expanded from a headcanon i've had for years. this doesn't have much of a plot, but i wanted to focus more on the characters and Jared/Kim's dynamic. i hope i've done a good job in crafting them into realistic characters with a realistic relationship dynamic. i hope you enjoy :-)) leave a review if you liked it :-))

* * *

Kim was quite comfortable where she was. It was noon. A laptop playing _Star Wars_ quietly in the background, windows wide open, and curtains billowing softly as the summer breeze gently blew through them. The smell of the crisp forest, and the nearby Pacific Ocean made Kim feel more at home than she had in a long time. The gentle roaring of the waves as they crashed onto the pebbly shore of First Beach almost lulled her to sleep, if it weren't for the voice that interrupted her slow ascent into dreamland.

" _Do you think Rey and Kylo are gonna get it on in Eight?"_

Kim groggily opened one eye and hummed.

 _"Hm?"_

"Rey and Kylo- do you think they're gonna get it on in the next movie?"

Kim rolled her eyes, but the expression lost its bite when she smiled amusedly.

"Dunno." She supplies, rolling over and breathing in the smell of freshly showered skin. "Embry told me that he thinks they're gonna get together. He said, and I quote, _"I could cut their sexual tension with a dull butter knife"_."

Kim felt a rumbling laugh under her cheek, then large, hot palms grasping her face and pulling it away.

"Embry is a perverted _dog,_ Kimmy." Jared warns her, his hands smushing her cheeks in and eyes round with mock-concern. "Don't ever listen to a word he says, alright kid?" Kim scoffed lightly, pushing Jared's face away with her hand, and laughing softly. She settled back down into her favorite spot- her cheek resting in the crook where Jared's neck met his shoulders. It was quiet for a moment.

"No, but seriously." Jared pipes up again, Kim groaning and smashing her hand into his lips and shushing him. His voice was muffled against her palm, and all of a sudden, she felt his tongue licking her skin. Kim jolted away from him all together and scowled at Jared, who was snickering behind his fist.

 _"Gross."_ she mumbled, wiping her palm on his shirt. "Grow up."

"Alright, alright, I get it." Jared laughed, mussing up Kim's hair just to torture her one last time. "No more _Star Wars_ theories for the rest of the day."

"Thank you." Kim, once again, placed her head back into Jared's neck, when, once again, her attempts at a rare midday nap were foiled.

"We should go try that new cafe library place in Forks where Seth works."  
 _  
_Kim squinted as she opened one eye.

"What?" A heavy, hot palm ran itself down Kim's spine, stopping at the small of her back and remaking its journey up the nape of her neck.

"The new cafe that opened in Forks a couple months ago." the voice rumbles again. "We should check it out. I only went once for the grand opening, but I couldn't try anything because I had to leave early and pick up Joseph from school. The guys were supposed to leave me some stuff for Joseph and I to try, but Quil and Jake ate them all before they even got home."

Kim breathed out a small laugh. Thinking of Jake and Quil chowing down on multiple take-out containers worth of baked goods was a funny, familiar sight to picture.

"You didn't go another day? In your spare time, or something?" Kim asked tiredly, nuzzling into the warm, broad chest she had currently substituted for a pillow. He shrugged.

"Never got around to it." A pause. "I wanted to wait and try it with you."

Kim opened her eyes, and blinked. She looked up, her chin perched on the collarbone of the man she was resting against. Jared's eyes looked down at her, eyebrows raised, lips slightly upturned in a questioning grin. If Kim were being honest, she wanted absolutely nothing more than to just fall asleep right where she laid. But Jared had revealed something so heartwarming in such a casual manner- now she couldn't bear to say no.

"Sure." Kim says simply, pushing herself up and stretching luxuriously. "Just let me wash my face and stuff." she grunted as she pushed herself up off the bed, patting Jared's cheek before making off towards his bathroom.

"I'll go ask Joseph if he wants anything and I'll get the car started!"

Kim called out a sound of approval. She could Jared muttering under his breath as he rummaged around his room for his phone, and Kim giggled as she turned on the faucet. He hadn't changed all that much, it seemed. She quickly washed her face and slathered on a bit of moisturizer- all she had done for the day was lie around lazily with Jared. It was only noon, but usually, she would have already showered and planned out her day in the bullet journal she kept. With Jared around however, her plans always went out the window. Kim quickly combed through her hair, pulling the wispy strands up into a ponytail, save for a few she'd left to frame her face.  
Kim could hear Jared downstairs on the phone, keys jingling, asking his nine year old little brother, who was currently over at a friend's house, Joseph, if he would like anything from the cafe. The cool breeze wafted its way through Jared's small bedroom and made the hairs on Kim's arms stand straight, a shiver passing through her spine and causing her to pick up a stray sweater that was draped over the desk chair, and pull it on. Although it was summer, the breeze was still cool and strong enough to make going out without a long-sleeve of some sort too uncomfortable.

Kim paused, giving herself a glance in the mirror Jared had set up in his room, to be sure she wasn't too sloppy looking. She nodded, and her hand was poised to grasp the doorknob, but her head turned back to the mirror. A scratch piece of looseleaf paper was stuck into the top frame of the mirror carefully. Kim's fingers pulled it out, and upon unfolding it, she immediately knew what this was.

 _What page?  
177.  
Thnx.  
Np.  
Ur my brother's tutor right?  
Yeah. He's ok?  
In school?  
Home. He's fine in school.  
He's fine. He's doing good in school? I don't talk to him much lately lol rip :/  
He's doing great.  
Even for a dyslexic kid?  
Lol yeah for any kid.  
Nice. Thanks.  
Np. _

These were the first set of notes the two of them had ever exchanged, a day after he had returned to school. They had scrawled their responses to each other hastily, eyes attempting to stay towards the front of the class. He hadn't imprinted on her by then. It was his second day back that he finally, really, looked at her. And still, to this day it felt as if he had never looked away.

" _Ophelia!_ Ophe- Ophelia, please, calm down!"

A high whine and a bark pulled Kim away from her thoughts. She quickly and carefully stuck the sheet of paper back into its home, and made her way down the stairs, where Jared was wrestling with Ophelia, his family dog, a chocolate brown, German long-haired pointer.

"Ok, ok, _chill!_ I'm taking you with us, calm down woman!" Jared exclaimed, eyebrows furrowed as he finally got the leash attached to Ophelia's collar. Ophelia barked in response and calmed down quite quickly when Kim came over and pet her head, sitting and panting, looking up at the two obediently. Jared raises an eyebrow- he's sorely unimpressed.

"Oh yeah, now that she's here you're all polite." he muttered, giving her the command to follow as Kim opened the door for the both of them. Jared jolted as Ophelia rushed outside, making him lose the leash as the large dog galloped towards the car.

"That dog," Jared muttered to Kim, sighing and throwing an arm over her shoulders. "Is going to be the death of me."

"Now you know how we feel." Kim smiles mischievously, abandoning Jared and following the excited Ophelia, jumping into the passenger seat after letting in the dog.

"Women." Jared remarks, grunting and rolling his eyes as he settles into the driver's seat.

"Female solidarity." Kim says, holding her fist out to the back seat, as if asking the dog for a fist bump. Kim only gets a sniff from Ophelia before she sticks her head out the window and dangles her large tongue out to feel the breeze. "Girls have to stick together."

"Are you two going to start going to the bathroom together now?"

* * *

The ride in was only a twenty minute journey. Upon arriving in Forks, Jared pointed out a couple minor differences in the town that had been made over her absence. A couple new houses looked to have sprung up. The Forks library had been remodeled, better facilities replacing the dated aura of the town landmark. A vietnamese restaurant had popped up, Jared telling her that he still hadn't tried out their food, suggesting that before she leave, they try it out together. All in all, Forks looked to have updated a little since she had last come home. There were still the hokey places that had been there since before Kim or Jared were born. _Sunset Lanes_ was still, amazingly, up and running. Kim and Jared's second date had been there, in the grossly dated and overly colorful bowling alley that, from the outside, looked more like wooden storage lockers painted blinding colors than a bowling alley. _Mocha Motion,_ too, was still alive and well. The place that was more of a small shack if anything else, still apparently served decent enough coffee to the locals.

Ophelia barked at passing cars and pedestrians as they pulled into the new, admittedly impressive cafe where Seth worked part-time. Its name, "Coastside Cafe", was written in brass lettering above the doors. It was cozy- looking more like a small house than anything else. There was a little patio area, with beams overhead strung with fairy lights that Kim was sure made the area look lovely in the evening. _Ophelia could join their lunch properly now!_ Kim thought. Various flags stood tall and waving near the front of the cafe, the three largest being an American flag, a Seattle Seahawks flag, and another that had the Forks Spartans logo printed onto its blue fabric. Through the window, Kim could see Seth manning the front counter, smiling brightly at an old woman who hobbled away with her drinks.  
"Hey, Seth's working!" Kim exclaimed happily. Jared's eyes lit up as he put the car into park, straining his neck to see the boy filling up the bakery case with what they assumed to be a fresh batch of pastries.  
 _"Jackpot!"_ Jared exclaimed, punching the air as he jumped out of the car. "I hope he can hook us up with free food or something!"  
 _"Jare!"_ Kim scolded, rolling her eyes as she was handed Ophelia's leash. "He's not the owner! And besides, we shouldn't take food for free- we have to support our local businesses. We owe it to our local residents to stimulate the economy and keep them up and running." Kim continued, windchimes jingling as Jared held the door open for her and Ophelia.  
Jared grunted and made a stink-face.  
"I'll ask _casually._ " Jared reassured her. "I wasn't asking for our bill to be taken care of, I just want like, a free muffin or something."  
Kim waved him away, walking Ophelia through the quaint cafe, smiling at the old woman and her husband who nodded and grinned at the chocolate brown dog by her side. The joint was nice- beautiful by Forks' outdated and borderline tacky standards. Kim had no doubt that this would be the place that visitors who were passing through Forks would stop at. There was an ample amount of tables, and the windows were large, letting in a lovely amount of natural sunlight. The walls were brick, and most of the chairs were mismatched. A small corner of the cafe was dedicated to two bookshelves, and Kim itched to take a closer look, spotting newspaper clippings framed, or tacked onto a corkboard. Kim stepped out to the patio area of the cafe, picking a table for two right by the large window that separated the two areas. She tied Ophelia's leash securely around one of the table legs, and pet her fur, stepping over her to join Jared at the counter.

"Kim!" Seth exclaimed, a bright grin taking over his face.  
"Hey Seth!" Kim smiled, laughing at his attempts to hug her over the counter. "This place is really nice!"  
"Yeah, I'm really happy I got a job here." Seth smiled, Kim, sincerely happy to see that he was pleased to be where he was. She often had to remind herself that he was well on his way to becoming a grown man now. "Was that Ophelia I saw you bringing out to the patio?" Seth asked, Jared nodding in response.  
"If I left that dog in the house she would have gone mad." Jared mumbles, shaking his head and glancing outside to check on her. The sleek, chocolate brown dog was laying down, already feeling at home. Upon noticing that her owner was looking her way, she raised her head and cocked it, letting out a single woof that startled a young girl coming out of what Kim assumed to be the back kitchen.  
 _"Oh!"_ came her high, soft voice, the tray in her hands wobbling as she jolted back in shock. She yelped softly again as it began to fall, and Kim cringed as the curly-haired girl lost control of her grip. However, the resounding bang never came to fruition, and Kim tentatively opened her eyes to see that Seth had saved the tray from falling, and all of the croissants that it held.  
"Oh my god, thanks Seth!" the dark-skinned girl sighed in relief, a blush coming to rest on her full cheeks. She was small- about Kim's height, but she figured this girl was a junior at most. Seth towered over her easily, and Kim did not miss the brighter than usual smile on Seth's face. The girl continued to babble out soft, embarassed apologies, but Seth waved them off easily.  
"Don't even worry about it, Val." he laughed, fingers coming up to flick a stray curl away from her face. Kim immediately exchanged a wide-eyed glance with Jared, who shrugged and watched the two converse quietly.  
 _Val_ , the young girl who was Seth's apparent co-worker thanked him again, and scurried away to the door, her poofy, shoulder-length curls bouncing with each step as she disappeared.

"Ummm, who is _that?_ " Jared burst out, a strange, wide-eyed and excited look falling across his face. Seth paled and scratched his neck.  
"Uh, her name is Valerie." Seth supplied with a light blush. "Her aunt and uncle are the owners. She and her little brother live upstairs with them." he finished, eyes darting around the cafe in an uncharacteristically nervous manner. "So, uh, can I like, take your orders?" Seth cringed at how awkward he sounded, but Jared wasn't about to let go of the topic.  
"Is she your…" Jared trailed off, and Kim's eyes widened, her gaze shooting to Seth, who had taken up the task of filling the bakery case with fresh croissants.  
Seth paused. _"Huh?"_ he asked, feigning ignorance.  
"Seth, you heard what I said." Jared rolled his eyes. "Is she your…. You know… the _"I word"?"  
"Uhhhh," _Seth stammered again.  
"Oh my _god,"_ Kim whispered in excitement, a giddy feeling rising in her chest as she began to realize who Valerie was. "She _is_ your imprint! Oh my _goooood!"_  
"SHHH! Shh!" Seth cupped his palm over Kim's mouth.  
 _"Dude!_ You started working here _months_ ago! Why didn't you tell us?!" Jared exclaimed.  
 _"Sethhhhhhh!_ Tell me _everythingggggg!"_ Kim squealed, rocking on her toes like an overexcited child.  
 _"Holy_ \- can you guys wait until my break? I have it in a half-hour, okay?"  
Jared sighed and agreed. "Fine. But you _better_ gimme a free donut for not telling me." he scolded, Seth rolling his eyes and agreeing flippantly. He quickly took their orders and retreated to the back, presumably to make their food and escape the couple's snooping gaze.

"That kid." Jared shook his head. "He didn't even tell us!"  
"I'm sure he has a good reason." Kim shrugged, scratching Ophelia behind the ears as she rested her head on her lap. "Oh, I'm so _excited_ for him!" Kim squealed as she took a picture of the cafe to send to her classmates.  
"Calm down, little girl." Jared reached over the table and pat Kim's head much like he would for Joseph. (Or Ophelia, for that matter.) Kim scowled.  
"Shut up, Grandpa."

"Um, west coast crepe and the ham and cheese special?" A soft, sweet voice interrupted the couple's banter, and Kim looked up to see _Valerie_.  
"Oh! Thanks!" Kim beamed at the young girl as she set down their plates, Jared already distracted and drooling at the crepe in front of him.  
"I'll be back with your drinks and pastries in a second." Valerie's smile was sweet, yet wary. Kim's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but softened when the girl's gaze darted nervously down towards Ophelia. _Maybe she was afraid of dogs,_ Kim thought wryly.  
"She's friendly." She reassures her.  
Valerie gives her a sheepish smile and blushes, nodding and scurrying away to fetch the rest of their order. _She was very pretty,_ Kim thought. With quite dark skin and a pleasant smile, Kim was certain she was the type that everyone liked to keep company with.

"Wow, okay, I _love_ crepes." Jared muttered, mouth opening wide to shove another forkful of his food into his mouth. Kim rolled her eyes and chided him to _"savor his food"_. In response, Jared closed his eyes and chewed slowly, mouth opening wide to reveal the disgusting chewed up food on his tongue.  
"You're such a child." Kim shook her head, delving into her own food with two spoke quietly as they ate, Jared loving the food so much he had called Valerie over to order another two crepes- one more to eat himself, and one to share with Kim for dessert. Kim wondered briefly if this was the place Jared would end up going broke for. Sam had undergone an apprenticeship program after the reunification of the packs, and alongside an old football teammate who became an architect, opened up a construction company. Jared had been working there now for a year, along with Quil, to earn some money. Kim knew it was so that he could go back to school- Paul and Jared didn't phase that much anymore. There were more than enough active wolves to drive out any stray vampires that wandered into the Olympic Peninsula, and the Cullens took off years ago. Jared had expressed interest in becoming a police officer long ago. He wasn't too sure about what he wanted now, but nonetheless, he was saving.  
Kim shook her head as Jared's second crepe was delivered, sipping and watching as he dug into it with enthusiasm. She fished out her phone and took a sly picture of him shovelling another forkful of food into his eager mouth, snickering as she examined it.  
"Okay, okay," came a tired voice. Seth was here. He had ditched his apron, but the name-tag he wore was still pinned onto his flannel. His name was printed neatly, a tiny flower sticker stuck onto the corner of the tag. He placed a plate down with a donut onto the table, and held a take-out container of what Kim assumed to be more goodies for him and Joseph. "I came with what you requested, your _highness."_  
Jared smirked, still busy cutting the dessert crepe he had ordered in half to share with Kim.  
 _"How kind of you."_ he remarked, sticking his fork into a piece he had cut off, holding it out for Kim who he always gave the first bite of dessert to. "Get explaining, kid."

Seth delved into his explanation quickly, crunching down on his sandwich, eyes constantly making sure that Valerie wasn't around to overhear their conversation. The cafe had lulled. There were only a few customers inside, all of whom had been served, so Valerie was free to do as she pleased. She was sat at the front counter where Seth was previously stationed, a sketchbook open and hands drawing expertly into the pages  
It turns out, that although Jared was correct in pointing out that Seth had been working at the cafe for several months, he was wrong in his assumption that he had imprinted on her when he started working. Valerie hadn't started working at the cafe until three months after it opened- she was a considerably busy girl. She played volleyball, was an honors student, and was working towards a scholarship for the _University of Washington_ , where Rachel had gone to study years before. Seth's hours clashed with her extracurriculars and activities, never allowing him to run into her, even though she lived just upstairs, and would often study in the cafe during the evenings and early mornings.  
It wasn't until summer break that she had time to help out in the cafe, and meet Seth properly. According to him, she had showed up in the middle of his shift and asked him how to work the coffee machine, and he had spilt milk all over his jeans, forcing him to borrow a pair of pants from her uncle. (Jared snickered profusely at this story, while Kim swooned.)  
"I didn't tell you guys because... I don't know." Seth sighed, running his hands through his hair. "It was nice, having something for myself that no-one else knew about."  
Jared nodded, immediately understanding. The pack mind was incredibly intimate- it took a long time to learn the way to control what thoughts you projected out into the communal link. He knew Seth in particular struggled with this.  
"I get it." Jared clapped a palm over Seth's shoulders. "We won't tell anyone."  
Seth sent Jared a look of gratefulness.  
"Thanks dude."

" _Umm.."_ The tentative voice of Valerie cut through the conversation, and all three looked to the archway where the girl stood. She blushed, sending Kim and Jared an apologetic smile.  
"Sorry, I know it's your break Seth, but can you help me bring in the packages the UPS guy brought?" she asked. "They're kinda heavy and I can't find the dolly, otherwise I would have done it mys-"

"I got you." Seth said, rising up from his chair and shoving the rest of his donut into his mouth. She looked sheepish as she watched Seth stand offer Kim and Jared a goodbye. She apologized again, and Seth waved her off, placing a palm on her shoulder and rubbing it gently, smiling softly down at Valerie. She was much smaller than Seth- she probably only reached his shoulders. Valerie blew away the same stubborn curl that had gotten in her face earlier, and again, almost unconsciously, Seth brushed it away behind her ear to join the rest of her hair.

Jared stretched back into his chair and sighed, rubbing his stomach and frowning.  
"What?" Kim asked.  
"I want another crepe."  
 _"Self control,_ Jare."  
"I know! I know." Jared sighed again. He slapped his hands against his thighs and shook his head.  
"Alright, let's go before I convince myself to order again."

Kim called out a goodbye to Seth and Valerie, who both waved and smiled back.

Ophelia began to shuffle her paws as Kim held onto her leash, and Jared muttered under his breath as he walked through the cafe. A hand on his arm made him jolt back, and he looked down to see the old couple he had smiled at earlier looking up at him.  
"You and your girlfriend make such a lovely couple." the woman says, her wrinkled blue eyes looking at him warmly. Jared's gaze travelled to Kim, who was stood by the door, fiddling with the leash as Ophelia had it tangled around her legs. Her black hair shone in the sunlight that filtered through the windows, making it look almost brown, and Jared was suddenly flashed back to junior year. To the day he looked over at her for the first time. Copper skin bathed in the sunlight that streamed through the classroom windows. Eyes so bright brown as they caught the light, Jared thought that they looked like fire.  
He looked back down at the couple and smiled.  
"Thank you." he said. _But we're not a couple._ He didn't tack on the last part.

Jared could hear the old couple's conversation about them from outside. They spoke softly of nostalgia and times long gone by, of their first kiss and their children.  
"Home?" Jared asked. Ophelia had already stuck her head out the window, ready for the ride back, and Kim nodded.  
Before pulling away from the cafe, Jared glanced back through the window. The old man had abandoned his chair and taken a seat next to his wife, who was sat on the booth. The two were laughing softly, his hands shaking slightly as he lifted up his fork to feed her. Jared felt a pang. Absently, he hoped that he could see Kim that peaceful one day.

He pulled away from the cafe and made the journey home.

* * *

The two spent the rest of the day back in La Push. They took Ophelia out to Rialto Beach, bumping into Paul and Rachel who were evidently on a trail walk. Kim spotted a large form weaving between the trees gracefully, another two trailing right behind. She had missed the feeling of such a steadfast protection. When she had first moved onto campus, she found it quite difficult to fall asleep with such silence. She was used to the sound of wind blowing through the trees, the pitter patter of rain against her window, ocean waves crashing against a pebbly shore, the occasional howl of a wolf echoing across the Olympic coast. She missed knowing that she was safe- that there were her friends ready to chomp down on any danger that could wander into their neck of the woods.  
"I think that was Brady and Collin." Kim said on their walk back to the house. Jared looked down at her.  
"You saw them?"  
 _"Mhm."_ Kim nodded. "In the trees when we were on the beach. I couldn't recognize the third one, though." She frowned, recalling the distinctively patterned wolf she had seen, unable to remember who it was.  
"It was probably Petey." Jared supplied. "Was he like, brown and white?"  
Kim nodded.  
"Yeah, that was Peter. Jake tends to stick those three together on patrols. They're all best friends."  
Kim hummed. "Gone are the days of my vast knowledge on patrol schedules and shift pairings, huh?" Ophelia nudged Kim with her nose, her collar jingling as she ran around the forest, hopping over logs and sniffing trees. Jared laughed, pulling her closer as they walked the trail back home.  
"You've got better things to do now." he shook his head, remembering how bored Kim was after she would quickly finish her homework. "Besides, Jake doesn't do many patrols anymore. We haven't seen action around here in a while, so there's really no need for us to do the watch like we used to years ago."  
Kim was thankful for that. Even now, the memory of what happened with the Cullens during her junior and senior years made her anxious.

The two had just made it back to Jared's house when his Father pulled into the driveway, grunting when Ophelia greeted him eagerly at the driver's door.  
"Hey girlie!" he exclaimed, absently rubbing her head as he opened the back car door for Jared's little brother, Joseph.  
 _"Ophelia!"_ Joseph exclaimed, jumping down from the car and petting the dog enthusiastically.  
"Hey you two." Jared's father was a tall, football player looking man, but he was a complete softie.  
"Hi Dad."  
"Hi, Mr. Cameron!"  
"You two have a good day?"

Kim nodded, smiling sweetly at Joseph who exclaimed her name and ran up to give her a hug.  
"Hi Kim!" he said. Joseph was the sweetest little boy Kim had the pleasure of knowing. When he had entered the first grade, Joseph was identified by his teachers as a child at risk for dyslexia. Kim was assigned to assist him in his studies during her free period, and together the two worked through his homework slowly. He was a patient, kind young boy, ever since she had first met him. He had even brought her a cookie he had made himself once, and painted a picture for her (that was framed, and still hanging in her dorm) after a couple months of knowing her. It was sad to see such a sweet child get frustrated at himself for not being able to keep up with his classmates, but he was a trooper, and held his own even with his possible dyslexia. Now that he was older, he was properly diagnosed with the learning disability, and was receiving professional teaching.  
"Hey Joseph! We brought you some stuff from the _Coastside Cafe_ \- we knew you liked it there."  
Joseph's bright eyes lit up.  
"Where Seth works?" he asked, Kim nodding and laughing. "YES! Thank you, Kimmy! Thank you Jare!" his small arms encircled themselves around Kim's legs, then Jared's, and he whooped as he ran into the house.  
"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome kid." Jared chuckled.  
"Thanks, you two." Jared's father pulled Kim into a hug, patting her head with a large palm and following his youngest son into the house.

* * *

The two were unproductive for the rest of the day. They spent it on Jared's bed, just talking. Kim told him stories of college life- the time when she had gotten so drunk the night before a morning class, then being sent back to her dorm for showing up to class hungover. And the day when she and her dorm-mates were accused of forming a cult by some paranoid girl who had reportedly seen _"all the Mexicans in a circle"_ in the communal lounge. Kim laughed recalling the girl's and her hall advisor's face when she told her that it was just a study circle for class, and that no-one in the hall was even Mexican. She told him about the time she had to fend off a handsy frat boy by shrieking in his face, and about the sweet, handsome blonde boy who had asked her to be his jersey girl for the football game. Jared listened attentively to all her stories as if it were the first time he was hearing them. In reality, he had learned of all these events just hours after they happened, all over text or their nightly skype calls. She was constantly in contact with him, whenever she could be, that it felt like he was right there with her, even though he was thousands of miles away.  
"And how was your date with the _"sweet white boy"?_ Did he treat you right?" Jared asked seriously. Kim laughed, waving him off.  
 _"Yes_ , Jare. He was a perfect gentleman."  
"Good." Jared grunted. "Otherwise I'd have to find a way to get down there and spook him via _Wolf-Intimidation Methods."_  
Kim snickered, shaking her head and sighing, looking up at the ceiling. She had to admit, she didn't expect their break to be like this.

Days before her flight was scheduled to leave, Jared had broken up with her. She was crying, not understanding why he decided on his own that they should separate. She had been under the assumption that they would just be in a long-distance relationship during her time away at school. She had run home bawling, crying to her Mother that he had broken her heart, and that she was confused and hurt.  
He had climbed through her window that night to explain. She could recall his words easily, as she often did.  
"I don't want to be the guy back home, who's holding you back from living the best college life you can." he had explained softly, thumbs brushing away the hot tears that fell down her cheeks. "You were always bored here, Kimmy." he said. "You're too smart for our small school. You were capable of so much more than what we could offer you here. I don't want you to miss out on what you deserve because you feel like you owe me your free time, okay?"  
She didn't understand then. But now, she understood that he had seen her potential for bigger things go unused because of where she lived- a reservation, in a small town, with no resources or money that could get her better opportunities. He was so proud of her for receiving a scholarship to one of the best schools in the country, and now he wanted to see her succeed, with nothing holding her back. She knew that he felt guilty at the thought of her not reaching her full potential with him.  
"Do you not love me anymore?" she asked pitifully. She loved this boy with what felt like every tendril of her soul. He was immature, and annoyingly ignorant at times. He had gotten on her nerves when he would disregard his manners, or when he shirked off his responsibilities. But he treated her right. She saw how much he loved her in the smallest things.  
"Listen to me," Jared said seriously, holding her face in his hands, and making her eyes lock with his. "I will _never_ stop loving you."  
Kim almost broke down in relief.  
"I will never stop thinking you're beautiful, I will never stop looking out for you, and I will never ever stop wanting what's best for you."  
"Then why are you leaving me?" she whispered, still not understanding why he thought this self-sacrificial route was necessary.  
"I'm not leaving you- not really. I'll never be more than a phone call, or a text away. I just want to see you spread your wings, and I feel like you could spread them more if I wasn't holding you back."  
Kim shook her head. He was stupid if he thought that was the way it worked.  
"I know you don't understand. Maybe you never will, but this is how I feel about it, okay? I'm always gonna be there for you, Kimmy."

Kim sighed, and nodded. She knew that when he made up his mind, Jared was hard to sway. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and held her in a tight embrace.

"I love you." he said.  
"I love you too."

Still now, she thought he was stupid. It wasn't like anything changed all that much. They tried to speak every single day. There were days when the two of them were just so busy they couldn't call each other without time differences screwing up the rest of their schedules, but there was always something waiting for the other. Whether it be a text, a snapchat, a voicemail. Some days they could skype for hours, and other days there wouldn't even be a text. But still, Kim always felt like he wasn't all that far away. Jared seemed to have a strange skill of being felt even where he was not.

"Sooo, whaddya wanna do tomorrow?" Jared asked. "Em and Sam are getting everyone back together to hang at their place. All the puppies are invited, and Leah's even coming down for the weekend from WSU. We should probably bring something, right? What do you think we should make?"

Silence.

 _"Kim?"_

Kim only stared at him. He looked so pretty like this- dark hair flopping over his forehead, a little columbia's lewisia flower in his shirt pocket that Kim tucked in as a joke earlier, soft eyes staring down at her, and bronze skin deliciously on display for her in the setting sunlight. This dumb boy, who had waited months so he could try out new places with her, who saved keepsakes like old notes for sentimentality, who had broken up with her at eighteen because he had felt like he would hold her back, was so achingly _good._

Jared pulled a face, scrunching up his features in a silly manner.

"I know, I'm beautiful, aren't I, Kimmy?"

Kim still didn't respond. Jared furrowed his eyebrows, knocking his knuckles against her forehead gently, bringing his face closer to hers.

"Anyone home in there?" he asked.

Another pause. Kim didn't want to wait anymore. She pushed forward and pressed her lips to his. Jared was taken aback, and didn't respond for a moment. It had been two long years since their last kiss, but quickly, he melted and wrapped his arms around her slim frame. Her lips felt soft, and warm- so much like home. He had forgotten how achingly nice Kim's lips were. Jared began to pull away, wanting to ask why she had done that, but Kim pulled him back, and he laughed, kissing her again, and again, and again. They spent what felt like a thousand years kissing, before pulling away.

"Can we get back together again?" Kim asked, eyes shining. Jared's lips turned up in a smile. "I missed you like thi-"

Kim was cut off by Jared's lips. Her heart leaped as they fell back onto the bed. In the back of his mind, Jared agreed with his girlfriend. The sun began its slow descent back down into the ocean, making way for night to creep in and take over for several hours. It sank down into the Pacific Ocean, bidding La Push a temporary farewell until morning, but neither Jared or Kim noticed the sunset. The two spent the rest of daylight relearning the feel of each-other's kisses, both intent on never not kissing ever again.


End file.
